Foreverness
by Darkfire's Demons
Summary: After the badger attack, Squirrelflight forgave Brambleclaw for his coldness in Twilight. But if she hadn't, how would the world of the Clans have been affected? What would happen? What if Squirrelflight and Ashfur had been together? Forever.
1. Prologue

**What if Squirrelflight had really stayed with Ashfur after the badger attack? Would Brambleclaw have joined with Hawkfrost? How would the world of the Clans be affected? Please read, review, and find out!  
**

**This first part I got from the beginning of Sunset, but I changed it to make Squirrelflight not forgive Brambleclaw. **

Squirrelflight curled her tail as Brambleclaw watched her and the pushed the moss harder against the gash on his shoulder.

"Squirrelflight, I'm sorry for everything-."

"I know," she snapped, cutting him off. She flicked his face with her tail-tip. The dark brown tabby looked at her hopefully, staring into her eyes. Feeling both triumph and sadness, she shook her head. "I know, but I don't care."

"What?" Brambleclaw gaped at her. "But – Squirrelflight!"

Squirrelflight growled. "I understand that you want to be deputy and everything, but you can't keep ignoring the other cats around you. Ashfur doesn't do that. He lives happily, and he cares about others. He doesn't let any ambition take over his life!"

Brambleclaw's eyes darkened. "I don't let it take over my life!" he spat. "I just think that Firestar should appoint a deputy!"

"Well, you're a fool!" snarled Squirrelflight, digging the moss so deep into the wound that Brambleclaw flinched. "That's what you said before, but you've done nothing to show that you have any compassion. All you want is to be deputy and then leader, and to… to _scheme_ with Hawkfrost! You didn't even want to let Daisy bring her dying kits to ThunderClan, because you said they were kittypets! _I'm_ half kittypet, Brambleclaw. Do you think that _I_ shouldn't be a warrior?" She was so angry that she was panting like she had just run all the way to the Moonpool and back, and abruptly she noticed that almost all of the cats in the clearing were staring at her.

"Please, I understand it now-" Brambleclaw stopped, his eyes pleading.

"No, you don't!" Squirrelflight felt her fur bristle. "I respected you on the journey to sun-drown place, but now you're different."

"Fine!" Brambleclaw whisked around. "If you're going to be so mousebrained…" His voice faded away as he brushed past his Clanmates and stalked out of the camp. Squirrelflight stared after him for a heartbeat, then turned and padded away from the cats still gaping at her.

Ashfur looked up in surprise as she went up to him, and he twitched his ears. Squirrelflight pressed her nose to his flank and sat down, challenging any cat to speak.

The ThunderClan cats starting moving again, as though released after being frozen. They all avoided her eyes and started walking around camp again, gathering fresh-kill and helping others to Leafpool's den.

A faint meow echoed in Squirrelflight's mind. It was her talking in a furious tone.

"_At least there's one cat I know I can trust with my life!"_

_Brambleclaw was staring at her sadly. "Only one, Squirrelflight?"_

_Yes,_ Squirrelflight thought, as Ashfur gently led her to get healing herbs. _Only one._ And now she was as sure as ever.


	2. Flashback

**Review ****Reply****: The only one (**_**hint hint)**_

**Troublestripe: I'm guessing that you like AshxSquirrel. And that you're happy to see a fanfic about it.**

**Oh, and feel good because you were the only reviewer! Even though about 25 people read it. So you should feel special.**

* * *

**Oo… flashback. (That's why it's all in italic lettering. Ya, in case you didn't know.) It's Brambleclaw so angry at Squirrelflight that he might just follow Hawkfrost!**

"_Mousebrain!" Hawkfrost hissed into Brambleclaw's ear. "This is your chance, Brambleclaw. You're deputy now. If Firestar dies, you'll be Clan leader." _

_Brambleclaw hesitated, and jumped up as Firestar made an effort to speak. "Birchpaw told me… Blackstar waiting on our territory… Had to come alone…" he wheezed for breath._

_Hawkfrost watched the rusty-furred tom with savage triumph as he padded to the leader and hissed in his ear. "But Blackstar isn't here. We are. You're a fool, Firestar. You were too easy to trap."_

_Firestar didn't answer, but Brambleclaw snarled. "You did this! You arranged for Firestar to be here, where there was a fox trap waiting."_

"_Of course," Hawkfrost snapped as if it were obvious. "I did it for you." _

"_For me? Why?" Brambleclaw thought that he should feel suspicion but instead only felt… relief._

_Firestar jerked again, and Hawkfrost's head swiveled around to glare at him. "The brave ThunderClan leader!" he spat scornfully. "Not so powerful now, are you? Come on, Brambleclaw, finish him off!"_

_Brambleclaw could hear Tigerstar whispering in his mind_. Kill him. No cat will know. You can be Clan leader. You can have everything you have ever wanted.

_Hawkfrost nudged Brambleclaw viciously. "What are you waiting for? This is what we have wanted all along, remember? Kill him now!"_

_Again the dark brown tabby paused. Tigerstar growled angrily in his ear_. Fool! Kill him now!_ Hawkfrost spat in fury. "Come on, Brambleclaw! We will rule the forest together, and be the most powerful cats there ever were." _

"_Six lives…" Brambleclaw murmured. Six lives left, and after that, everything he could ever want. And what better way to prove to Squirrelflight that he was strong? She could have forgiven him, but _no_, she had stayed with Ashfur! _

"_That's right. This is our chance to take revenge on Firestar for our father's death. He could have tried to stop Scourge, but he just stood there and watched Tigerstar die, over and over and over."_

_Brambleclaw narrowed his eyes. "It's all your fault!" he spat at Firestar, barely noticing Hawkfrost's triumphant sneer. He let all his rage wash over him. "You let my father die!"_

_The ThunderClan leader stared at him, almost without fear. Just a small hint of terror flickered in his eyes._

"_I'm stronger than you!" Brambleclaw continued angrily, and he could hear the spirit of Tigerstar urging him on. "I wouldn't let weak, stupid cats into my Clan like you do!" _

Right, Brambleclaw! _the dark warrior hissed._ With me to help you, you and Hawkfrost will rule!

"_It's time that some cat made the forest safe, it's time that no cat was weak! I will rule, Firestar! And all of the cats will listen to me!" His thoughts raced angrily through his head. _You should have been with _me_, Squirrelflight. I'll show you now!

"_Kill him, Brambleclaw, and you will be the leader of ThunderClan!" Hawkfrost snapped impatiently. His tail lashed the air. "Come on. You know you want to be the ruler of an entire Clan. That's why you met with me and Tigerstar in dreams in the first place."_

_Firestar gasped in surprise. Of course, he didn't know about the dreams._

_Brambleclaw stared at his half-brother. "I know," he snarled, stepped up to Firestar. "I know."_

_He sunk his claws into the rusty tom's neck._


	3. Kits

**Review Replies: (I got 4 this time. Out of the 260 hits. Please, even if you hate this story, REVIEW IT. I like knowing if people actually care about this fanfic.)**

**Rockstorm: **The chapters are going to get longer. Starting… now.

**Troublestripe: **ya, a cliffhanger! There will probably be a lot of those in this story.

**Starflecks: **I understand, but it's part of fan fiction, so I'm not plagiarizing. Anyway I changed the text so it wouldn't be exactly the same as what's in the book.

**FrostFire: **okay! I posted!

* * *

"Ivykit! Sagekit! Stop that!"

Sagekit flipped onto her back as Ivykit scrambled up, launched herself into the air, and fell onto Sagekit's outstretched paws. Sagekit flung the larger kit away, and she sailed into a pile of moss. Emberkit mewed in excitement, his brown fur fluffed up, as Ivykit stood shakily.

"Emberkit! Don't encourage them!"

Sagekit rolled over and jumped up as the ginger queen's reprimanding meow cut through the play battle. She flicked an ear innocently, then bounded across the nursery to where Emberkit waited with Ivykit.

"That was good!" the young she-cat mewed. She gave her dappled pelt a quick lick. "Nice, Ivykit!"

Ivykit dropped onto her side, pretending to be hurt. "Sagekit, you killed me!" she yowled, a glint in her amber eyes. Sagekit padded up to the larger kit, and Ivykit stretched out a pale forepaw, hitting Sagekit squarely between the ears. Sagekit bared her teeth, crouching down. Emberkit squealed and jumped on top of Ivykit, and the three kits went tumbling in the dust.

"Stop!" The ginger queen leaped towards the tussling cats and pulled them apart. Sagekit felt herself being lifted into the air and set down gently on the opposite side of the nursery. She looked around and saw that Emberkit and Ivykit were separated, too. The ginger queen sat sternly in the middle of the den, her tail tip twitching.

"You can't fight like this in the nursery, you know. Soon you'll be apprentices, and you'll have to behave."

"It was only for fun!" protested Emberkit. His green eyes were wide, and he reached out playfully with a paw.

The she-cat batted it away. "You disturbed Ferncloud and her kits."

The gray queen across the nursery glanced up at her name. Her two kits, Aspenkit and Thymekit, squeaked and burrowed through the moss closer to their mother.

"They're too young to play," Emberkit mewed grumpily. "We're the only other ones in the nursery-."

"-which is why you need to be quiet. Aspenkit and Thymekit need to be able to grow and learn without you three shouting all of the time." The she-cat closed her green eyes for a heartbeat in exasperation.

"Oh, stop it, Squirrelflight."

The ginger queen spun around as a large gray tom pushed through the entrance to the den with a rabbit in his jaws. He had an amused expression, and his words were friendly. Dropping the fresh-kill on the ground, he padded up to the she-cat and touched his nose to her flank.

"They're only kits, you know," he purred. "And they'll be apprentices within a moon. Let them have some time to play."

Ivykit looked up hopefully as Squirrelflight licked the tom's ear and motioned to the kits with her tail. "Come on, eat some of the fresh-kill that Ashfur brought you."

The three kits bounded over to the rabbit and began biting into it. Sagekit breathed in the delicious smell of the prey, then noticed Squirrelflight and Ashfur sitting off to the side, whispering.

"You're very protective of them, Squirrelflight." The tom cocked his head to one side. "They're not made of feathers, they're not so fragile."

Sagekit watched Squirrelflight from the corner of her eye as she ate. The rusty-furred she-cat sighed. "I know. It's just that… I don't want them to get in trouble." Her gaze held a flicker of worry. The gray tom dipped his head.

"I understand," Ashfur murmured. "Tensions are high now."

Sagekit's ears twitched. Conflict within ThunderClan? But the Clan needed to be united! That was one of the first things she had learned!

Squirrelflight dipped her head. "It's because I choose you, isn't it? You instead of him."

"It doesn't matter," Ashfur meowed firmly. "Bramblestar may be Clan leader, but-."

"Dad! Dad!" Emberkit had finished eating and bounded over, and – to Sagekit's disappointment – interrupted Ashfur. "Tell us the story about the former leader, Firestar!"

"Hmm?" Ashfur glanced up, surprised. Squirrelflight lurched back as Emberkit leaped at the gray tom, clambering onto his back.

"Come on! Come on! Tell us the story!"

Ivykit mewed agreement, and Sagekit padded over as Ashfur pulled Emberkit away and set him on some moss. "You really want to hear the story?"

"Yes! Yes!" Emberkit and Ivykit chorused.

"All right." Ashfur shot an amused look at Squirrelflight, then settled down on the ground. "Where was I, last time?"

"Firestar had just helped ThunderClan establish themselves in the new camp!" Ivykit meowed promptly.

"It wasn't all Firestar's doing," Squirrelflight put in. "The four questing cats helped a lot, too."

"Tell us who they were again!" Emberkit squeaked.

"All right, all right," Ashfur meowed, his eyes glittering. "There was Squirrelflight, your mother-."

"Yay for Squirrelflight!" announced Ivykit. Sagekit purred as Squirrelflight dipped her head.

"Yes," continued Ashfur. "And Tawnypelt, Feathertail-" Squirrelflight crouched down sadly here "- Crowfeather, Stormfur, and-." His voice died away for a heartbeat. "Bramblestar."

"Bramblestar! He wasn't Clan leader then, though. Right?"

"Um…right."

Sagekit blinked. Why did Ashfur seem so distracted?

"Dad, dad!" Emberkit spoke up again. "Tell us how Bramblestar became the leader of ThunderClan!"

Ashfur stared at his son for a heartbeat, then his gaze met Squirrelflight. Sagekit felt her fur bristle. She was sure she had seen a flash of fear in the tom's eyes. "Er… you want to hear about that?"

Emberkit was oblivious to Ashfur's hesitation. "Yes!"

"Well… it's a long story."

"And you don't have time to tell it now, do you?"

Ashfur spun around, a look of unmasked terror on his face as he saw the large tabby tom lurking in the entrance to the nursery. "Bramblestar!"

**See? Another cliffhanger! Those are fun!**

**If you notice that any names are different from the ones in the Sight it's because Bramblestar choose different warrior names for the cats. Also, some cats will still be alive that were dead in the Sight because the stuff that killed them didn't happen for some reason or other because Bramblestar was the leader instead of Firestar.**


	4. Traitor in the Clan

**I'm just not going to reply to reviews here. Barely anyone is actually saying anything about this story.**

Sagekit gasped as the ThunderClan leader took a single step into the den, hatred barely concealed in his dark eyes. "Telling the kits fool's tales, are you Ashfur?" he spat. "Just what I would expect from _you_."

"What are you talking about, Bramblestar? Last time I looked, you were the one talking about how you were made into our leader."

Bramblestar lurched back as if stung. Squirrelflight snarled at him, her ginger fur bristling. The tabby hissed and receded from her angry glare with his tail fluffed up. Ashfur faced him, and the two stared at each other with tension crackling between them like lightning.

"So," Bramblestar growled finally, not shifting his gaze even for a heartbeat. "You want to hear how I became leader of ThunderClan, do you?"

Now Emberkit was silent, trembling in the moss.

"_I_ will tell you."

Sagekit pricked up her ears. Was Bramblestar really going to tell them how he became leader?

"There was a traitor within the Clan."

Sagekit heard Ivykit squeak in surprise, and her neck fur rose too. A traitor! But… that was against the warrior code! That was horrible!

"And that traitor was… Birchpaw. He led Firestar to a fox trap, and the great leader lost many lies before I heard his cries and rushed to help. But, regretfully, he was too weak to be saved." The dark brown tom hung his head as if in sadness. "Firestar had made me his deputy before he died, so I became the leader of ThunderClan." He glanced up at the kits. "That's how I became the leader."

"B-but what happened to Birchpaw?" squeaked Emberkit.

Bramblestar met his gaze. "He was driven out, banished," the tabby growled. "We can't have a traitor in ThunderClan, now, can we?"

Emberkit shuddered and said nothing.

Squirrelflight shouldered her way to stand in front of Bramblestar. "_Thank_ you, Bramblestar, but you can leave now. The kits need to rest, you know."

The dark brown tom stared at her, sadness and anger battling in his eyes. Then he turned away with a sneer. "Rest? There won't be much of that now. ThunderClan can't be the strongest Clan in the forest if its cats are resting all of the time!"

"What do you mean?" demanded Ashfur.

Bramblestar glared at him. "You'll find out soon enough." With that he spun around and stalked out of the nursery.

**Sorry for the shortness!** **Oh well. Remember: REVIEW! Is is really so hard to click the button that says 'review'?  
**


	5. Apprentices?

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a meeting!"

Squirrelflight pricked up her ears at Bramblestar's call. She stopped grooming Ivykit's fur and stood, shaking scraps of moss from her pelt. "I have to go," she muttered. "Every cat has to go to the Clan meetings except for kits like you." Emberkit started to protest. "Emberkit, calm down! I'll only be gone for a little while, and you'll be able to come to meetings when you're an apprentice, which should be soon. Anyway, you're perfectly safe here."

Sagekit shivered. No matter what Squirrelflight said, she had felt nervous since Bramblestar's visit a few days before. The dark tabby's piercing glare had unnerved her, and she felt her tail bristle as her mother left the nursery.

A minute later Ferncloud padded out to where the rest of the Clan was sitting before the Highledge. Aspenkit and Thymekit squealed as she left; they were only a moon old and need their mom around constantly. "I'll be back in a minute," Ferncloud promised over her shoulder.

Emberkit watched the queen as she left, then followed her to the nursery entrance and peered outside. "Come here!" he hissed after Ferncloud had sat down with the crowd of cats. Sagekit and Ivykit bounded over to him. They looked out of the den as Bramblestar stared down at the assembled warriors, queens, apprentices and elders. The ThunderClan leader's tail was high and his eyes were confident, and his meow rang around the stone camp.

"First, we are here to welcome a new warrior. Poppypaw, will you come up?"

The apprentice was trembling with delight as Rainwhisker led her to the front of the Clan, right below the Highledge.

Brambleclaw fixed his gaze on the young she-cat. "Your mentor, Rainwhisker, agrees with me that you are ready to become a warrior." His eyes flickered to the gray tom for a heartbeat, then moved back to Poppypaw. "I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your code, and I commend you to her as a warrior in her turn. Poppypaw, do you promise to uphold and defend the warrior code even at the cost of your life?"

Suddenly Sagekit, who was watching Bramblestar, shuddered. Was she mistaken, or had she noticed a gleam in his eyes when he had said 'even at the cost of your life'?

But Poppypaw was looking up with unrestrained joy. "I do."

With painful carelessness Bramblestar continued. "The by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Poppypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Poppywind. StarClan honors your bravery and willingness to be loyal, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan.

There was a moment of silence. Sagekit blinked. Had the other cats noticed what she had, that Bramblestar hadn't really seemed to care about the end of the ceremony? Then yowls erupted.

"Poppywind, Poppywind, Poppywind!"

Poppywind looked around, her eyes glittering with happiness. Bramblestar stared down at her without a shred of emotion in his dark eyes. The massive tabby waved his tail for silence, and the cheerful meows stopped. Poppywind froze.

"I have another announcement to make," the ThunderClan leader growled. The cats below him murmured uneasily. What did Bramblestar have to say that would be a cause to interrupt the naming ceremony? "You all know that tomorrow night is the Gathering. We are going to leave early to meet with RiverClan. ThunderClan will arrive at the island just before sundown."

"Sundown? But the Gathering doesn't start until the moon is high!"

Heads snapped around to face the cats who had spoken. Bramblestar glared into the crowd. "Who said that?" There was silence for a heartbeat. "Answer me!"

"Me!" snarled a voice. "I spoke!" There were hisses as a pale gray shape shouldered its way to the front. "It's not against to warrior code to be surprised, is it, Bramblestar?"

The brown tabby's claws tightened on the rock ledge. "Ashfur! I should have known."

Sagekit shivered as her father glowered at Bramblestar. "You think that I'm the only cat to ever have questioned your decisions?"

"_That_ is against the warrior code, Ashfur. You shouldn't doubt your leader's orders, should you?"

"It's not like you're the best leader, anyway! Don't pretend that I haven't seen you meeting with Hawkfrost on the border of ShadowClan!"

A hiss rippled through the crowd. Bramblestar narrowed his eyes, his muscles tensing. "You dare say this?"

"I just said it, didn't I?" The two cats looked like they were about to spring at one another.

"You realize that I could exile you at any instant, don't you?" The tabby snarled and unsheathed his claws. His tail lashed the air angrily.

"Now who's going against the warrior code? You have no reason to banish me." Ashfur snorted. "Not like you honor the code anyway."

Sagekit heard Ivykit gasp. Their dad was deliberately aggravating the Clan leader!

Bramblestar spat and crouched down, ready to launch himself into the air. Ashfur mirrored him, his stormy colored fur bristling.

Suddenly Bramblestar sat up, and his eyes gleamed coldly with triumph. Sagekit shuddered, and almost backed away from the nursery entrance. The young she-cat felt her sister press against her, and Emberkit squeaked at them. "What is he doing?"

Sagekit quivered silently.

"No," meowed Bramblestar. "I won't exile you." Even Ashfur looked surprised at that. "No, I won't. Shocked, are you? Well, I have a better idea." His gaze darted to the entrance of the nursery for a heartbeat, and it seemed to Sagekit that he saw her staring back at him although her face was in the shadows. "Cats of ThunderClan, there is a very good reason for meeting with Leopardstar and Hawkfrost today at the Gathering. And because of that I am going to make Squirrelflight's and Ashfur's kits apprentices. Now."

"_What_?"

Sagekit couldn't tell which cat exclaimed that; maybe more than one had. Emberkit's flicking tail stilled. "He… just… said…" His eyes were wide and frightened. Sagekit heard Ivykit gasp. _And just a few minutes ago we couldn't wait to be apprentices!_

Suddenly Squirrelflight reared up. "No! They're not six moons yet!" Her yowl was full of fear.

Bramblestar's glare turned to her. "Squirrelflight. Bring your kits here."

"I won't!" the ginger she-cat snarled. "You'll do something to them! You'll make them fight before they're old enough to!"

"Just like Brokenstar!" Dustpelt hissed, loud enough for all the cats to hear him. "He made kits apprentices at three moons old and sent them out as warriors at five moons! The tyrant stole kits from other Clans too!" The fur on the back of his neck was bristling angrily.

Bramblestar's growl was dangerously calm. "You would compare me to cruel mousebrained leaders such as Brokenstar?"

"Maybe!" spat another voice, and Sandstorm sat up. "Maybe we would!"

"So you want to rebel?"

The clearing fell strangely silent.

Bramblestar narrowed his eyes. "Good. I thought so." He flicked his tail at Molefur. "Go bring the kits."

Molefur, a young warrior tom, padded over to the nursery. Sagekit shrank back. "Quick!" she whispered. "Pretend that we weren't watching the meeting!" She pushed Emberkit out of the way as Molefur stuck his head into the den. All he saw was three kits curled up together.

"Come on," the tom meowed roughly. "Bramblestar wants to see you."

"Why?"

"So you can become apprentices."

"But we're too young!" Emberkit burst out. He crouched down as Molefur's eyes bored into him.

"Don't you want to become apprentices, kits?"

_He can't know that we heard._ "Um, yes, of… course," Sagekit stammered.

Molefur hissed, and he glanced back at the gathered cats who were waiting for him. "Well come on, then." He turned away.

Sagekit looked at her brother and sister. "We have to go," she mewed. _StarClan, what is so bad about becoming an apprentice? Nothing! Nothing's bad! Then why do I feel sick? _The kit motioned with her tail for Emberkit and Ivykit to follow her. "Apprentices now. It's good. Right?"

They blinked, probably thoughts of the ThunderClan leader's cold glare creeping into their mind. Slowly they shrugged, then stepped out of the nursery and into Bramblestar's hungry gaze.


	6. Waiting

**Thank you for all the reviews! I got… (drumroll) 4…! They were good, so thanks! I forgot to say that Molefur is the deputy of ThunderClan. Well, he is. Okay. Now on to the next chapter …**

The sun was low in the sky by the time the ThunderClan cats paused by the edge of the lake. Still, it was a long time before the other Clans would arrive; they would only come once the night had. Bramblestar was waiting for RiverClan and their leader, Leopardstar, although many cats seemed to think that Hawkfrost was the cat he wanted to see.

Sagepaw looked across the water, which was blazing with gold and red from the sunset. Memories from earlier that day flitted across her mind.

"_Ivykit, Emberkit, Sagekit, you are all ready to be apprentices. _I_ say that you are, and that it all that matters." Bramblestar stared out over the crowd, daring any cat to speak. "Ivykit, from now on you will be Ivypaw. Cloudtail, you are ready to have another apprentice. Pass down all that you learned from your mentor."_

_Cloudtail blinked. "Y-yes, Bramblestar!" He rushed up to touch noses with his new apprentice._

_Now Bramblestar's gaze fell on Emberkit. The young tom was trembling. "Emberkit, you are now known as Emberpaw. Your mentor will be Molefur." The deputy stared at Sagekit's brother as he greeted him._

_Finally Bramblestar turned to Sagekit. The tiny she-cat watched the leader, her fur bristling. "Sagekit, you should feel very special." His eyes bored into hers. "From now on you are Sagepaw. And _I_ am going to be your mentor."_

Just the thought of the tabby's cold gaze made Sagepaw shudder and glance at his dark form waiting silently at the tree bridge. Bramblestar had sat motionless for the whole time the Clan had been stopped, gazing out at the lake.

A smudge of black appeared at the edge of the swamp. Bramblestar's ears flicked, and he turned his head slightly to watch the shadowy form. Quickly it grew more detailed, until Sagepaw could see all the different cats in the patrol. A proud looking she-cat was at the head of the group.

"Bramblestar," Sagekit heard the she-cat murmur.

"Hello, Leopardstar. And Hawkfrost." Bramblestar's stare was fixed on his half-brother. The two dark brown tabbies were identical except for their eyes; Hawkfrost's were icy blue, while Bramblestar's were a deep shade of amber.

"So, why did you want RiverClan to come early?" demanded Leopardstar, making Bramblestar's gaze switch back to her. "What is so important that my Clan must give up precious hunting and training time to allow me to talk to you now?"

Bramblestar motioned with his tail for his deputy to follow, then led Leopardstar and Hawkfrost across the tree bridge. Sagepaw watched as the four cats disappeared into the undergrowth on the island.

"When do we go onto the island?" Emberpaw asked, padding up beside her.

Sagepaw shrugged. "When Bramblestar tells us to, I guess."

Ivypaw bounded up to them. "I'm scared," she whispered. "Why did Bramblestar bring us now? For StarClan's sake, we were just made into apprentices _today!_"

"I know," mewed Sagepaw. "Why was Squirrelflight so scared?" The apprentice glanced around to try to see her mother, but the mingling RiverClan and ThunderClan cats blocked her view.

Sagepaw sat down and curled up. "I wonder what the Gathering will be like…" she mumbled. "I hope WindClan and ShadowClan come soon."

"When it's actually night," muttered Emberpaw. "Not sunset." He stared at the slowly sinking sun, as if that would make it speed up. It would be while before the other Clans would arrive.

The full moon had risen high in the inky darkness before Ivypaw gasped. "Look! WindClan!" Sagepaw and Emberpaw spun around as a large group of cats raced from the moorland into the marshy land around the tree-bridge.

"Hello, ThunderClan," meowed a pale brown tabby. He glanced around, curious. "Where's Bramblestar?"

"He went onto the island with Molefur, Leopardstar and Hawkfrost," answered Sandstorm, going up to meet the WindClan tom. "Now we only wait for ShadowClan, Onestar." Motioning to the rest of ThunderClan, the she-cat mewed, "Come on! We can go onto the island now."

"Finally!" grumbled Cloudtail, rising to his paws in the center of the ThunderClan cats. "Now we can go." Following Sandstorm, the white furred tom leaped onto the tree-bridge and ran across.

"Great! Time for the Gathering!" More ThunderClan cats, along with RiverClan, jumped up.

Ivypaw turned to her siblings, her eyes glittering. "A Gathering!" she whispered. "This is going to be great!"

** Remember...**

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	7. Sorry Another Flashback

_The tom's eyes snapped open. He couldn't remember ever being as cold as he was now, like all warmth had been drained from him. Glancing around nervously, he stood up. He was in a shadowy forest in the middle of the night. The sky overhead was devoid of stars and there was no sound of prey in the dark undergrowth. Remembering why he was dreaming, he wondered if he was in StarClan. But was StarClan so cold and lifeless?_

"_StarClan?" scoffed a voice behind him._

_Brambleclaw whirled around. As his eyes rested the almost identical tabby sitting calmly in the shadows he lowered his head in respect. "Tigerstar."_

_Tigerstar's eyes glinted although there was no starlight. "No, Brambleclaw, _I_ should be the one honoring _you_." Slowly he dipped his muzzle. "You have done it. Completed the first part of the plan."_

"_Yes…" Brambleclaw meowed, confused. "But shouldn't I be in StarClan? Getting my nine lives and my name? That's why I went to the Moonpool after Firestar… died."_

"_You killed him," growled Tigerstar. "And don't be ashamed of that. You are now the leader of ThunderClan. That is more than Hawkfrost has done! Though soon he will be deputy of RiverClan, once he gets rid of that half-Clan scum Mistyfoot."_

"_But what about my lives?" demanded Brambleclaw. "I need to get them to become a proper leader. Otherwise I'll die the first time I make a mistake in a battle."_

"_You won't make mistakes!" thundered Tigerstar. He stood and started pacing. "But of course you are right. I have planned for this." He waved his tail._

_Brmableclaw stared as the dry bushes started rustling and the cats of the Dark Forest stepped from the gloom. Their eyes were dark pits of black fire and their pelts were covered with scars and shadows. Tigerstar grinned menacingly as the cats stalked around to stand in front of him._

_Brambleclaw shuddered. "I thought that StarClan was going to meet me-"_

"_Fool!" snapped Tigerstar. "StarClan will never accept you after you killed Firestar! But that does not matter. The warriors of the Dark Forest will give you gifts that are far more powerful than _StarClan's_."_

_As he spoke one of the new cats stepped forward. He was a battle-scarred tom with dark-gray and black fur. Brambleclaw hissed, recognizing the cat. "Darkstripe!"_

_Darkstripe's eyes gleamed. Almost in disgust he pressed his nose to Brambleclaw's forehead. "With this life I give you jealousy. Use it to find which cats have something that you don't." A bolt of hate swirled through Brambleclaw's body, and he howled in pain. It felt as though his fur was on fire. Images flashed in his mind of Darkstripe glaring up at Firestar. If Firestar hadn't discovered Tigerstar's plot, Tigerstar would have been leader, and Darkstripe would have been deputy._

_He opened his eyes and found himself lying on the ground, panting. The pain faded away as he rose shakily to his paws. _And that was only one life…_ he thought._

_Another cat stepped forward from the group, and a distant memory flicked into his head. Gasping, he identified the cat. "Scourge!"_

_The small black cat glared at him defiantly. "You killed Bone."_

"_And you killed Tigerstar!" growled Brambleclaw, glancing at the massive tabby. Tigerstar ignored Scourge and inspected an outstretched claw instead._

_Scourge snorted, then stepped up to the ThunderClan tom. "With this life I give you power, so that others will bend under your will." He touched his nose to Brambleclaw's forehead. _

_This time Brambleclaw felt a rush of strength edged with pain that made his fur tingle. He gritted his teeth until the throbs subsided and Scourge padded back to join the other cats._

_The next two cats Brambleclaw did not recognize. The lives they gave him were full of agony and rage. Their gifts were hate and envy, and after he received them Brambleclaw nearly collapsed in exhaustion. It felt like he had run all the back to the camp without stopping._

_As the next cat walked forward Brambleclaw blinked in surprise. "Hawkfrost!" His jaw hung open. "But… you're not dead! You-"_

"_The cats of the Dark Forest have allowed me to come here for a short time," meowed Brambleclaw's half-brother with a slight smile. "It wouldn't be right for me to miss your becoming a leader, would it?" He pressed his nose to Brambleclaw's head. "With this life I give you courage, so you can do things that other cats may shirk away from." _Like killing your Clan leader,_ the ice blue gaze seemed to say before Brambleclaw shrank back in pain. He yowled and fell back, slamming hard into the ground. I felt as though claws edged with ice were raking his fur. As the sting faded, he felt the power of his lives flowing through him like liquid fire. Despite the pain, they gave him unusual strength._

_Again Brambleclaw did not know the next two cats that gave him his lives, and with them, the agonizing gifts. They were both identical pale brown cats with narrowed yellow eyes that were full with madness. Their gifts were strategy and persuasiveness._

_After they stepped away, Brambleclaw sat down heavily. _I don't think I can take any more… I already have seven lives._ He blinked, looking up, then stood hastily as the massive dark tabby in the shadows padded towards him. Tigerstar's amber eyes were filled with triumph as he touched his son's forehead with his nose. "Brambleclaw. With this life I give you ambition, so that you will have the strength to do anything you need to in order to get what you want." Brambleclaw braced himself for a flash of pain but only felt exhilaration, as well as victory at finally getting what he wished for. _

_As he shook himself, Brambleclaw felt the warmth of that life burning away the pain from the other gifts. Renewed, he stood proudly, waiting for the final life._

_Suddenly there was a hiss and the crowd of cats parted. Tigerstar snarled and backed away from Brambleclaw, turning to face the group. There was a blaze of bright light that made the shadowy warriors howl, and a ginger furred tom stalked forward, his gaze locking with Brambleclaw's. Brambleclaw tensed. _

"F-firestar!"

_The ThunderClan leader's stare burned into Brambleclaw's eyes. Flinching, he turned away. "Firestar-"_

_Tigerstar spat angrily, but his eyes were full of fear. "Fool! Scum of StarClan! What are you doing here? You 'honorable' StarClan cats can't come to the Dark Forest!" He tried to sound fierce, but his meow started to quaver just slightly._

_Firestar turned slowly to the former ShadowClan leader. "StarClan _can_ come here, but usually we do not wish to stay in the same place with traitors and murderers!" he snarled. Brambleclaw shrank back as the tom looked back to him._

"_You killed me," Firestar said simply._

_Brambleclaw gulped._

_Unexpectedly Firestar stepped up to the dark brown tom. He brushed Brambleclaw's forehead with his nose. "I, Firestar, will give you your last life. With it, I give you determination, so that once you make a choice you will follow it without hesitation." His green eyes blazed. _Like murdering me, _the stare seemed to say. _You followed up on that.

_The ninth life was more anguishing than all the other lives put together. Brambleclaw gasped as visions of him and Hawkfrost clawing at a ginger colored tabby flashed in front of his eyes, and he writhed on the ground, howling. Each hair on him felt like it was burning up, and his mind was a swirl of chaos and pain. He gritted his teeth as the pain got worse and worse – then suddenly it vanished. _

_Brambleclaw's eyes snapped open. Firestar was gone. The warriors of the Dark Forest were opening their eyes and looking around, murmuring to each other._

_Tigerstar growled and thrust his way forward. "Forget that!" he yowled. "Brambleclaw from now on you are known as Bramblestar. Your life as a mere warrior is no more until you lose your lives and come to the Dark Forest to join us!"_

_Bramblestar hissed and tried to back away, but he was surrounded on all sides. Suddenly he felt his lives filling him with anger and hate and ambition. Tigerstar laughed. "Good job, Bramblestar."_

_Then everything went black. _


	8. Gathering

Sagepaw jumped down from the tree-bridge and landed gratefully on solid ground. Ivypaw and Emberpaw leaped from the fallen tree as well and stumbled as they landed beside their sister.

"How can the other cats get across so quickly?" gasped Ivypaw, glancing back as some warriors sped across the bridge without even a heartbeat of hesitation.

"They come to a lot of Gatherings."

Ivypaw shrugged and padded off. "Let's meet the other Clans. I want to find the apprentices!" She bounded away. Sagepaw and Emberpaw followed the young she-cat through some trees.

"Whoa!" meowed Ivypaw, stopping. "Look!"

Sagepaw stared up as she left the trees. A huge clearing was in the middle of the island, with a single tree in the center. The other cats were sitting, standing and talking in the open space, and all the Clan leaders were at the base of the tree. "Is that where they speak from?"

"Yeah," meowed a voice behind her.

Sagepaw spun around. Two young cats stood behind her, one a tom and the other a she-cat. Sagepaw tasted the air. "You're from RiverClan?" she guessed from the scent.

The she-cat nodded. "And you're ThunderClan apprentices." She motioned to the tree with her tail. "All the leaders sit on the branches to speak to the cats. I've only been to one other Gathering, last full moon."

"This is my first Gathering," meowed Sagepaw. "And Emberpaw's and Ivypaw's first, too."

The she-cat studied them. "You're all right, for ThunderClan cats. I'm Eaglepaw. He's Wolfpaw." The tom blinked in acknowledgement.

There was a yowl across the clearing. Leopardstar and Bramblestar had gotten to their paws, with Onestar standing behind them on a thick tree root. "We are going to start the Gathering now!" the ThunderClan leader announced.

"Where's ShadowClan?" demanded a voice in the back of the crowd. "You can't start without Blackstar!"

Bramblestar swept his gaze over the gathered cats. "We can start, because _I_ say so," he growled. "You will be quiet."

A nervous murmur rippled through the group, then died down.

Leopardstar glanced uneasily around, then jumped up. She clawed at the huge tree trunk for a foothold, then gripped the rough bark and clambered onto a low hanging limb. Bramblestar leaped after her, and Onestar followed.

"Cats of all Clans!" the RiverClan leader yowled, then hesitated. She didn't like having ShadowClan gone either, but she wasn't about to defy Bramblestar. With a jolt Sagepaw realized that the dark tom had a big influence on the other Clan leaders.

Bramblestar shouldered his way forward. "_I_ will speak first," he snarled. Arrogantly he turned away from Leopardstar and stepped farther onto the limb so he could see all the gathered cats. "Cats from ThunderClan, WindClan and RiverClan! I bring news of a darkness that is growing in the forest!" He paused. The entire island was silent. "Yes, something that could destroy all of the Clans! Treachery, I tell you! Something that we must get rid of to survive!" He stared down, his tabby pelt rippling. "Traitors! Traitors in the Clans! Scum we must weed out to live!"

All eyes were on him as he paced back and forth on the tree limb. "You all heard how Firestar died. Betrayed by an apprentice." Bramblestar looked down, as if in sorrow. "He was a great leader, and my mentor. Traitors like Birchpaw must be driven away before they do anything else wrong."

Sagepaw looked away from the ThunderClan leader for a second and her eyes fell on Hawkfrost. The RiverClan deputy was grinning wickedly, urging Bramblestar on with the glimmer in his ice blue eyes.

"Now, some cats are not happy with me being the ThunderClan leader. They dare to challenge my right to lead my Clan." Bramblestar stared around. "But this cannot be so! How can the Clans be strong if there is doubt! All the cats must believe in _me_… or leave!"

"Bramblestar," Leopardstar hissed, and Onestar drew up beside her. "What are you talking about?"

Bramblestar turned his gaze on the RiverClan leader. "I wish to repeat the great plan that was ruined before, in the old forest."

A yowl cut him off. Bramblestar glanced up, and Sagepaw spun around to see a huge white with black paws leading a group of warriors.

"Ah, Blackstar," sneered Bramblestar. "Here at last?" _This must be ShadowClan,_ Sagepaw thought.

"Bramblestar," growled the tom. "I thought that all the Clan were supposed to be present at a Gathering." In a quick movement he bounded through the crowd and leaped onto the tree. Clawing his way up the trunk, Blackstar scuttled onto a large limb and sat down. "So what are you doing without me? Plotting?"

Leopardstar hissed. "Bramblestar has spoken of a new plan that will weed out the treacherous cats. I doubt this, though, and you should to – or do you not remember Stonefur?"

Blackstar narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. "So what is your idea?" he demanded, rounding on Bramblestar.

The dark brown tabby twitched his whiskers, relishing he power he had. Then he looked away from Blackstar and out to the gathered cats. "Separated we are weak, but if we unite we can be strong! All the Clans need to join together – or die!"

For a heartbeat nothing happened. Then a single voice rose up. "What?" protested a cat, rising to its paw in the center of the clearing. "That's what Tigerstar did!" A murmur spread through the cats, and strengthened into a cry of objection.

"Quiet!" thundered the massive tabby. He flicked his tail slightly at the warrior who had spoken. Hawkfrost's icy eyes widened in glee, and he hurled himself from the tree roots and onto the defiant cat.

The cat screeched and lashed out with outstretched claws, but it was not ready for the attack. Hawkfrost snapped his teeth together and they met in the warrior's throat. The cat cried out, then gave a last shuddering jerk and fell limp in the RiverClan deputy's jaws.

**Major cliffhanger! Wow, this is so much fun to write! I think I'm going to update really soon, too. Bramblestar's turning into a living Tigerstar! I wonder what will happen… I'm not exactly sure yet!**


	9. Death

There was absolute silence. Not even the leaves were rustling. Sagepaw's mouth fell open, and she felt Ivypaw and Emberpaw tense beside her. _It's a Gathering!_ Every part of her mind screeched. _No cat can fight at a Gathering!_ Yet the cat was there, in Hawkfrost's jaws, blood pouring from its throat.

"Crowfeather!" a voice wailed. A slim black she-cat leapt forward at Hawkfrost, shoving him away. Hawkfrost growled and slid his paws under the she-cat's legs. She tripped and fell, skidding on a pool of Crowfeather's blood. The RiverClan deputy released the dead tom and jumped onto his attacker, pushing her down into the dirt.

"That, wasn't very smart, was it, Nightcloud?" smirked Bramblestar.

He turned around slowly at a gasp from the other leaders. "You – you had him _killed!_" hissed Leopardstar. "At a Gathering!" Her muscles rippled under her dappled pelt. "You broke the warrior code!"

"He never followed it anyway," muttered a gruff voice. Sagepaw blinked up to see her father, Ashfur, his fur bristling with shock.

"Bramblestar!" snarled Onestar, stepping forward. His claws were unsheathed and they scraped the tree branch as though he itched to sink them into the ThunderClan leader's pelt. "Crowfeather was a warrior of WindClan! How _dare_ you do this at a Gathering, a time of peace?"

There was a roar overhead. All the cats looked up to see storm clouds forming overhead, covering the moon. A fork of lightning lit the sky up and rain started to pour down.

"StarClan is angry!" yowled Leopardstar. "A cat was killed at a Gathering! This hasn't even been done in the history of the Clans!"

Bramblestar smiled. "I know. The time of the Clans is changing. All cats must untie under _me_, or die." He gestured with his tail to Crowfeather's body and the struggling Nightcloud. At an unspoken command Hawkfrost raked his claws across Nightcloud's back. She howled in pain. "This is what happens to cats who don't obey me," Brambleclaw purred.

"No!" Bramblestar spun around just as Onestar yowled and sprang at him. All thoughts of peace were thrown away as the two leaders tumbled off the tree and began battling on the ground. Hawkfrost slashed Nightcloud once more across her neck and bounded away from her, leaving the lean warrior ominously still.

Instantly more warriors amid the crowd of cats rose up and jumped on their Clanmates. With a jolt of horror Sagepaw realized that Bramblestar had followers in every Clan that were ordered to help him as soon as he announced that he was taking over the Clans. One look at Ivypaw's and Emberpaw's faces told her that they were thinking the same thing.

The other cats had only just understood that there were traitors among them. With a battle cry they unsheathed their claws, but Bramblestar's cats had the element of surprise on their side.

The clearing became a battlefield, full of brown and scarlet pools – mud and blood. Sagepaw ducked just in time to avoid whirling claws. She glanced around and saw Ashfur and Squirrelflight fighting side by side with two RiverClan warriors.

"Sagepaw! Come here!" Emberpaw beckoned her with his tail. He and Ivypaw had found a path through a thorn bush to escape from the clearing.

"No! I want to help fight!" Sagepaw jumped forward, but Ivypaw pounced on her tail and held her back. "Don't you understand? Bramblestar is taking over the Clans!"

"Mousebrain!" spat Emberpaw. "Do you want to die?"

The end of the sentence was cut short by a furious yowl. The apprentices turned to see a pale-furred ShadowClan warrior coming at them with claws outstretched. Ivypaw squealed and fled. Emberpaw and Sagepaw whipped to the side and the warrior went crashing onto the thorn bush.

Suddenly a cry broke through the noise of the fighting. "Onestar! Onestar is dead!" Every cat froze, Sagepaw looked around to see Bramblestar standing triumphantly over a small brown tabby shape. Emberpaw gasped. "No!" he squeaked.

Bramblestar's followers recovered first. They leaped at the other cats again and pinned them down. Warriors from each Clan struggled under the paws of their Clanmates.

Bramblestar raised his tail. The clearing fell silent as all cats turned to stare at him. Hawkfrost and another RiverClan cat stood beside him, holding Leopardstar and Blackstar down. He blinked through the rain at them, then flicked his ears.

Hawkfrost sunk his teeth into the back of Leopardstar's neck. She yowled and squirmed, then jerked as blood oozed from the wound. Her deputy raked his claws across her throat. The other warrior did the same to Blackstar.

The leaders fell still. Hawkfrost still kept Leopardstar pressed into the mud. Suddenly she opened her eyes and wriggled out from under Hawkfrost. Hissing, the RiverClan warrior pinned her down again. _She lost a life,_ Sagepaw thought, horrified.

Snorting, Bramblestar unsheathed his claws. He placed one talon on the edge of Leopardstar's throat. "Remember this?" he snarled. "This was how Tigerstar got killed." With savage triumph he slashed right down to Leopardstar's tail.

With an air of satisfaction he stepped back. Leopardstar twitched, and went into the healing trance of leaders who had lost a life. But more blood came from her wounds, and she jerked again. Sagepaw backed up against her brother and sister as Leopardstar yowled in pain. Then she slumped over, her body lifeless.

A thin cry rose from the trapped cats. They no longer had the will to fight, and their captors released them. They stood still, like shadows, staring with disbelief at the dead leaders. Their world had been shattered in only a heartbeat.

Sagepaw shuddered. "I never want to come to a Gathering again," she whispered.

Bramblestar stood proudly as the rain soaked his dark tabby pelt. Thunder boomed overhead as lightning flashed, illuminating his menacing eyes. "So," he announced. "Who is going to join the new Clan, TigerClan, and who is going to die?"

**Wow... this isn't turning out at all like I thought it would, but it's so much fun to write! **


	10. Semileaders

**Eh... sorry for the shortness. I just was having trouble writing. I'd open the document, stare at it, then close it. **

Bramblestar stared out from where he sat at the base of the tree, his amber eyes glimmering with success. None of the cats had defied him yet except for Crowfeather, and he was dead. Triumphantly he flicked his tail at Hawkfrost, and the almost identical tabby tom padded over.

"They're all in their Clan groups now," Hawkfrost meowed. "Most still think it's just a dream."

Bramblestar laughed. "Really? They won't for long." He stood up slowly and walked forward so all of the cats could see him. The ThunderClan leader let out a yowl, and instantly the murmurs died down.

"I have decided how to organize TigerClan!" the massive warrior called out. "Of course, I am the leader of the Clan. Hawkfrost is my deputy." He shot a grateful look at his half-brother. "You will all go back to your Clan territory – for now. However, cats will eventually be switching places. I have also decided that the strongest warriors will end up in ThunderClan territory, apprentices will end up in WindClan territory, queens will stay in RiverClan territory and elders will go to ShadowClan territory.

"Don't separate us!" yowled a voice. "The cats of a Clan must be together!"

Bramblestar whirled around to face the speaker but couldn't see them. "I decide the rules!" he snapped. "I am the leader of this Clan! Would you have questioned Tigerstar if he were in my place?"

There was an uncomfortable silence. Bramblestar swished his tail angrily. "Now that _that's_ over, I have something else to say. Hawkfrost is my deputy, but I will have cats in every Clan who are under my command, semi-leaders. Obviously I am in charge of ThunderClan and Hawkfrost is controlling RiverClan. For ShadowClan, Rowanclaw will be semi-leader and Webfoot will be semi-leader in WindClan."

The two cats' who he had named Clanmates drew back from them with a hiss. Rowanclaw and Webfoot glared through narrowed eyes, then spun around and stalked towards Bramblestar.

The dark brown tabby tom nodded to them. "This Gathering is now over!" he yowled. "Follow your semi-leaders back to your territories!" Bramblestar leaped away from the tree and into the midst of the ThunderClan warriors. They backed away from him slowly and he grinned wickedly. His gaze sought out the three kits he had made into apprentices just so they could see this.

"Like the Gathering, did you?" he mocked.

The smallest one, Ivypaw, squeaked at him and crouched back in fear. Emberpaw shuddered and stared at him sisters. Only the second she-cat, Sagepaw, spoke.

"Why'd you do that? You can't fight at Gatherings!" Sagepaw looked up at the sky, where storm clouds still covered the moon.

"It's not up to you to decide what I can and can't do, is it?" Bramblestar snarled, cuffing her with his paw. The apprentice was thrown back a tail-length, landing in the mud ungracefully.

Ashfur bristled and almost leaped at him. Squirrelflight mumbled in his ear hurriedly, pulling him back.

Bramblestar glowered at them. "It's time to go back to our territory," he growled. "As _TigerClan_." The leader turned around and ran for the tree bridge, glancing back to make sure that his Clan was still behind him. A glint of victory pierced his heart as he heard Tigerstar's voice in his mind.

_Good, Bramblestar. You can take over all of the Clans now._

Finally, he would rule the forest.


	11. Thunderstorm

**Hi, guess what? I got flamed! - happy music in background stops- yep, thanks to Fanned Chocolate/the gazillion other names s/he has, I actually had a flame!**

**If you're reading this Fanned Chocolate-person-thing, I want to say this. I guess you thought that your review insulted me. Actually I was laughing while I read it. It's just so **_**stupid**_** that you click on random stories and flame them with the **_**same exact review**_** every single time. Seriously! Of course, you already know this if you read the reply I sent. Oh, but I forgot. You can't read. Otherwise you would be able to read all the great stories you flame.**

**The reason I haven't put you on my filtered list is because I don't really care what you say. I like practicing retorts on idiots like you, it helps me get better. Thanks Fanned Chocolate, you help me with retorts and other stuff.**

**Including sarcasm.**

**But all the people reading this (except for you, since you're obviously so self-centered) don't want to hear about your pitiful and deluded life. So I'm going to continue with the story now.**

* * *

Emberpaw and Ivypaw ran up as Sagepaw rose from the muddy ground. The apprentice shuddered as thunder boomed overhead once more and she pressed close to her brother and sister.

"What… Bramblestar killed… Leopardstar... dead… pushed me… why?" The words spilled from her. No cat answered, and they glanced around uneasily. The menacing tabby shape that was their leader was almost at the tree bridge and he stopped, glancing back at them. Quickly the warriors ducked their heads and starting shuffling forward.

"Hurry," Thornclaw whispered to Sagepaw.

The she-cat blinked up at him. Emberpaw nudged her worriedly. "Come on."

Sagepaw shivered as the pouring rain soaked through her mud-stained pelt. She followed the rest of the group as they started running with downcast eyes. The cats leaped onto the tree bridge as lightning lit up the sky, illuminating the impatient figure of Bramblestar on the opposite shore.

The apprentice stared at him, then looked ahead just as she was at the fallen tree. Sagepaw jumped too late and crashed into a tangle of tree limbs still attached to the trunk. They snapped as she clawed at them frantically and the she-cat tumbled into the lake.

Ivypaw gasped and stopped halfway across the tree bridge. "Sagepaw!"

The cat behind her shoved her forward. "Move, or Bramblestar will be angry!"

"But – Sagepaw!"

Sagepaw thrashed in the icy water. The lake was surprisingly deep this close to shore and she couldn't feel the bottom. Her mouth and nose filled with freezing liquid as she struggled to keep herself above the surface.

The she-cat looked up and saw Ivypaw staring back at her, her eyes wide with fright. She yowled something, but Sagepaw couldn't hear it. She sank deeper in the water and felt her body go numb. Slowly her eyes closed as her mind went blank.

Suddenly pain seared through her scruff. Sagepaw squirmed sluggishly as fur brushed her. There was another cat in the water and as it kicked out strongly she was pulled up. _No_… she thought_. Let me sleep…_

Her head was yanked out of the water and she spluttered. The cat holding on to her growled through a mouthful of her fur. "Don't just lie there, I'm trying to help you!"

Weakly the apprentice moved her paws. As the rain hit her face the drops felt warm compared to the frigid lake water. After a moment rough ground brushed her back and the cat dragged her onto the lakeshore.

Sagepaw coughed as paws pressed down on her chest. Water trickled from her mouth and she choked.

"Careful," meowed a gentle voice.

The she-cat opened her eyes to see a brown and white tom standing over her. His amber eyes were wide. "Are you okay? You nearly drowned."

"I kind of noticed," Sagepaw mewed weakly.

The tom blinked, his whiskers twitching. "You weren't making it very easy to get you out of the water."

"I didn't want to get out. I was too cold."

"I can throw you back in if you want," the other cat joked. "I won't help you again. Can't you swim?"

"I don't know… I guess not." Sagepaw narrowed her eyes.

"Sagepaw!"

The she-cat glanced up and saw Ivypaw and Emberpaw running towards her with Ashfur just behind them. The three cats reached her side and pressed against her.

"Sagepaw, are you okay?" The apprentices' father stared at her intently.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"What's going on?"

The four cats spun around to see Bramblestar stalking towards them. The rest of the cats were behind him, huddled together in their Clan groups with terrified expressions. The dark brown tabby glowered at the brown and white tom.

"Who are you?" he growled. "You should be with your semi-leader."

The tom hissed. "I was trying to stop a cat from drowning, in case you didn't notice! Because you scared the cats so much that they didn't stop to help her-"

Bramblestar spat and slashed him across the face. The tom's head snapped to the side and he froze, like he couldn't believe the pain and blood dripping down his muzzle. "Leave," the TigerClan leader snarled quietly.

The tom glared at him and ran off.

Sagepaw watched him run and blinked at her father. Ashfur's fur was bristling as he faced Bramblestar. The tabby's amber eyes burned into the gray warrior's, daring him to fight. Finally Ashfur turned away.

"Come on, Sagepaw," he whispered.

The apprentice crouched lower as lightning flashed, then followed the tom away from the lake as the rain washed away their pawprints.


	12. What did we do to deserve this?

**There will be no Sage x other tom, okay? Not unless basically every single person wants me too. I didn't have the tom save her life because they were going to become mates or something. All right? They will be friends, people, just friends. **

Sagepaw's fur was plastered to her skin as she trudged through WindClan territory. The loose dirt on the hills had become mud, which stuck to the cats' bodies as the rain continued to poor down. Lightning lit up the dark clouds and illuminated the landscape. Everything was foreboding and stormy, as if StarClan were letting out all their wrath.

Ivypaw slipped in a pit of mud just ahead of Sagepaw. She yelped and slid forward, landing in it. Instantly a dark tabby shape with ice blue eyes hurried up. "Get moving," Hawkfrost growled.

Ivypaw glared at him but said nothing. The RiverClan warrior moved away from her, padding up to Bramblestar as he led the group of cats. They glanced back at the apprentices once or twice, muttering to each other.

Sagepaw pressed her nose to her sister's pelt. Emberpaw ran up and steadied his sister as she started walking again. Ivypaw was covered in mud, and her eyes glinted angrily. "Why is this happening?"

There was only silence. Sagepaw sighed and glanced at Bramblestar and Hawkfrost. The half-brothers stalked to the front of the group of cats, surveying them with glittering eyes. The ice blue and amber shone out in the darkness. Sagepaw shuddered.

Emberpaw growled softly. His green eyes were dark with anger. Sagepaw flashed him a warning glance. _Don't do anything stupid…_ she thought.

She jumped suddenly as lighting crackled through the sky. Ivypaw yelped and nearly fell down again. Bramblestar paused and glared at the clouds, like he could turn StarClan's anger away. Thunder boomed down at him.

"Why do the Clans have to be 'united' anyway?" muttered Emberpaw. "It's mousebrained."

"I noticed," Sagepaw hissed.

A sharp voice made them turn around to see Sorreltail. "Try telling that to Bramblestar," she growled. The tortoiseshell she-cat sniffed angrily. "Ever since Birchpaw tricked Firestar into getting caught in the fox trap…"

"Why did he do that?" asked Ivypaw, standing up. "Why would an apprentice-?"

"Who knows?" Sorreltail shrugged. "Power makes cats do crazy things."

_That's what happened to Bramblestar, S_agepaw thought to herself. _Too much ambition…_She stared at the dark brown tabby leading the rain-drenched cats. His amber eyes glinted coldly.

"I wonder where Birchpaw went," Emberpaw murmured. "He got exiled, right?"

"Of course!' hissed Sorreltail. "He was a traitor!" The tortoiseshell blinked and padded quickly ahead of them. Sagepaw looked at her brother and he shrugged.

The apprentice noticed that they had fallen to the back of the group. She nudged Emberpaw and Ivypaw. "Hurry, or else Bramblestar will get angry."

"StarClan forbid," muttered Emberpaw, not joking. Sagepaw shook her head, then jumped as thunder roared. She started running to catch up with the other cats.

_Great StarClan, what did we do to deserve this?_


	13. late late late chapter finally posted

**Yes, I am actually alive! Sorry for not updating this story for... well... forever...** **I realized that I had this chapter written for months and I never posted it... and I haven't updated since October!... oops. Anyway, here's another chapter, I hope people still remember this story and read it!**

**Also I just remembered that Sagepaw and the others are only half-day old apprentices and only 4 or-something-like-that months old (too lazy to check to see their actual age). Weird huh? Too young... and yet they're wonderful apprentices... I'll try to make them act a little younger in the next chapters.**

** So please don't totally forget this story... I'll definitely-probably-maybe update more often. XD **

The storm was still raging as the casts neared the ThunderClan camp. Bramblestar, who was padding a little way ahead of the others, stopped and turned towards the Clans. "All cats will stay in their own territory tonight," he growled. "But tomorrow I will start moving cats to where they should be."

A hiss escaped from one of the cats. Bramblestar's eyes flashed challengingly, but no warrior came forward.

"Coward," the tabby smirked. He spun around, motioning with his tail for the ThunderClan cats to follow him and the other Clans to go to their own territories.

Sagepaw shuddered, glancing around. Suddenly a caterwaul rang out and a sleek golden-brown tom leaped forward, eyes blazing.

Bramblestar heard him and sprang to the side, twisting over to see the attacker. He yowled and whipped his claws out, slashing the tom as he flew by.

The warrior staggered, the gash from the leader's claws oozing blood. His flanks heaved, but he regained his balance and jumped away as Bramblestar's teeth snapped a mouse-length away from him. The golden-furred tom bit down on the massive tabby's tail. Bramblestar snarled in pain and sunk his claws into the other's shoulders.

The attacker yelped and released Bramblestar. With a victory cry the Clan leader threw the tom to the side and pinned him down. His fangs glinted as lightning flashed, and for a heartbeat it seemed to Sagepaw that she was seeing a demon from the Dark Forest, eyes whirling with madness and teeth as sharp as claws.

Bramblestar's fangs met in the warrior's throat. He gave an eerie high-pitched wail that was cut short by a hideous gurgle, then his body went limp in the tabby's jaws.

Bramblestar flung him to the side. Sagepaw scrambled back as the corpse landed at her paws, scurrying away and hiding in the crowd. The golden tom's lifeless eyes stared at her, glazed over with pain and death. Beneath the blood and torn fur she recognized him as Thornclaw.

"Thornclaw!"

The keening rose from the ThunderClan warriors. Bramblestar spat at them. "This is what happens to all who dare disobey me!" he shouted.

Emberpaw crouched beside his sisters, trembling with fury. His fur bristled as he opened his mouth.

"Mousebrained furball!" hissed Sagepaw in his ear. "He'll kill you in a heartbeat!"

Emberpaw glared at her, but said nothing.

"It's only your first night as an apprentice," Ivypaw whispered. "Or have you forgotten?"

"Actually, yes," muttered Emberpaw. Sagepaw blinked in surprise. _He's right… we were still kits this morning. Everything's happening so fast…_

Lightning made her jump as it cracked across the dark canvas of the sky. Ivypaw whimpered, her fur fluffed up and her eyes wide

"Calm down," hissed Emberpaw, his voice tinted with annoyance. Sagepaw almost had to agree with him. Ivypaw was so scared of everything.

"Thornclaw!"

The screech cut the night, making Bramblestar's eyes blaze with fury. Ferncloud, Dustpelt and Sandstorm had run forward. They crouched beside the motionless body. A thin wail split the night as the blood ceased to flow from the warrior's wounds. "StarClan help us!"

"StarClan can't help you now, fools!" Bramblestar growled. "They are powerless, while I, on the other hand, can do whatever I want!" The Clans were silent as he paced angrily. "Do you see StarClan stopping me? Do you see our warrior ancestors sending lightning to hit me?" He whirled around. "No! No! Because they can do _nothing_!" He glared up at the sky. "Come on, StarClan, kill me if you can!"

Sagepaw's breath caught in her throat. No cat moved as their leader glared furiously up at the sky, his eyes blazing amber. "I'm still waiting, StarClan!" he caterwauled. "I'm ready!"

Thunder roared overhead, making the waiting cats flinch. Bramblestar stared around. "Hurry up StarClan! We don't have all night!"

Nothing happened.

Bramblestar lowered his gaze from the dark clouds. "You see? StarClan does not care!" He sat up proudly. "I rule all the territory now! And _nothing_ will stop me!"

Sagepaw felt Ivypaw's body quiver beside her. Eyes wide, she pressed against her sister's flank. Ivypaw shuddered, her fur bristling. Emberpaw let out a pitiful mew and backed away as Bramblestar's eyes wandered over to him.

The tabby's eyes glinted for only a moment, then he spun around. "Go to your own territory!" he yowled. The cats murmured for a heartbeat, but at a glare from their leader they started walking.

Sagepaw saw Sandstorm lean down to pick up Thornclaw's body. Ferncloud and Dustpelt looked over their shoulders anxiously just as Bramblestar's ears pricked up. He whirled around, baring his teeth. "Leave him!"

Sandstorm froze with her teeth in the dead warrior's scruff. Bramblestar stepped forward menacingly and growled. The ginger she-cat's neck fur rose, and her claws extended, but she did not move.

The TigerClan leader hissed furiously. "Leave him!"

Dustpelt gasped. "No! We can't leave our own Clanmate to become… _crowfood_!"

Bramblestar sneered. "Who's the leader here? Or do you want to join _StarClan_ as well?" He spat the word mockingly.

Dustpelt's eyes widened. Ferncloud put her tail on his shoulder, warning him. The gray warrior blinked at her, then took a step back.

Bramblestar smirked. "I thought so."

Sandstorm stood with her mouth hanging open. No cat seemed to notice as thunder roared yet again above them. They were all staring at the four cats poised around Thornclaw's body.

The ginger she-cat backed away slowly, disappearing into the crowd of cats. She pressed past Sagepaw, and the apprentice saw the warrior's pale green eyes glint with terror as she hurried by.

Sagepaw closed her eyes as Bramblestar hissed in satisfaction. He started to pad deeper into the forest, leaving the semi-leaders to move the huddled, rain-drenched cats.

Bramblestar stopped and looked back as groans of protest rose up from the crowd. His amber eyes flashed and the noise stopped abruptly as shivering cats slunk to their former Clanmates.

The TigerClan leader bared his teeth in triumph and spun around. As he turned, Sagepaw saw him glance her way, only for a heartbeat. But in that brief moment his hatred threatened to bury her.

"We're dead," she whispered.

**Yep lots of death... sorry any Thornclaw fans. Okay, I like Thornclaw myself, but he seemed to be the type of cat who'd rebel and then get killed. So review! And you can say how evil I am for killing off everyone. I know I'm evil for doing it. Hoorah.**

**review... you know you want to...**

**oh and whoever gets the 100th review gets to create a character. So review!! **


	14. Bloodtide

**The 100th reviewer was... Dawn-Brambleclaw's Killer!! -confetti blows through air- Congrats! You get to create a character! Please PM me with the character and a description. And thanks to everyone who's reviewed, cause otherwise it wouldn't have gotten to 100! So keep reviewing!**

**This chapter is weird... well, the story's rated T for a reason, I guess.**

Leafpool opened her eyes to find herself in a strange forest. The sky was clear, and the stars abnormally bright. She blinked up at them, her amber eyes wide, and the fresh scents of the forest wafted around her, untainted by the scent of Twolegs or enemy Clans.

"Greetings, Leafpool."

The medicine cat spun around. A sleek blue-gray she-cat watched her calmly from the shadow of a tree, her icy eyes blazing with power. "Bluestar?" Leafpool ventured.

The once-ThunderClan leader dipped her head, then rose to her paws and padded towards the tabby. Leafpool sat silently as the queen approached her.

"You live up to your father's expectations, and his legacy," the StarClan warrior meowed.

"T-thank you," stammered Leafpool, wondering why StarClan had brought her here, when she wasn't even at the Moonpool. Part of her knew she was really curled up in her nest of moss in the medicine cat den, but her mind was in the dream. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "Why did you let Bramblestar become leader?"

Bluestar's gaze darkened. "The cats of the Dark Forest have manipulated him to the point where they were able to give him his nine lives and his name. They are far more powerful than we thought."

"Oh." Hope sank in the medicine cat's heart like a rock. "I was hoping…"

"That he didn't really have nine lives?"

"Yes," Leafpool murmured, then regretted it. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't say things like that about my Clanmates."

Bluestar snorted. "Bramblestar is a traitor and a murderer. All of StarClan thinks it as well."

The medicine cat said nothing, just looked down at her paws. After a moment she glanced up. "Why did you bring me here?"

Bluestar's whiskers twitched. "You brought yourself here, Leafpool. Even if you don't realize it."

"Huh?" The tabby blinked, confused.

The StarClan warrior shook her head. "Never mind. Come, there is something I wish to show you anyway." Without a sound she stood up and vanished into the undergrowth, her blue-gray fur melting into the shadows.

Leafpool jumped up. "Wait!" She ran towards the place where Bluestar had vanished and followed her sky-tinted scent through the starlit forest. As she struggled free of a clump of thorns she nearly crashed into Bluestar, who had abruptly halted.

"Sorry-" she started, then stopped as she saw what Bluestar was looking at.

A huge lake lapped at the soft grass a few fox-lengths ahead of her. It was much larger than the one by the Clan territories, yet she could sense in the way of dreams that it was really the same lake. Two shapes appeared in the distance, cats whose shapes were strangely familiar. A trickle of a scent wafted on a breeze, the normal cat smell seemed strange when everything else here had the tang of the stars.

"Squirrelflight?" Leafpool gasped. "And… Ashfur?"

Bluestar flicked her tail. "Watch."

The two ThunderClan cats were walking across the center of the lake, as though they weighed nothing and could glide effortlessly over the surface of the water. Above them the clear night sky glittered with frosty stars that were reflected back by the lake.

Suddenly a deep roar rumbled beneath the ground. Leafpool looked down at her paws as the tremor grew, fear twisting in her belly. The dirt seemed to be vibrating beneath her claws. The tabby blinked up in confusion, but Bluestar was gone.

"Bluestar?" she called. Then the word died in her throat as she stared out over the lake.

Squirrelflight's and Ashfur's pawsteps had turned red, and as Leafpool watched the stains rippled across the water and began to spread out. Rings of scarlet undulated, and a breath of wind brought the unmistakable stench of blood to the medicine cat's nose. She choked on the hot reek as it rolled over the lake in waves.

Blood began to lap at the shore, and Leafpool staggered back as splashes of red slapped around her paws. In the middle of the lake, Squirrelflight and Ashfur were yowling. As the she-cat watched, Ashfur slipped and started to sink.

Instantly the underground tremor roared like a LionClan warrior, and with a blast of blood-water, enormous vines erupted from the lake.

Leafpool gasped, her eyes wide with terror as the vines stretched toward the sky. Huge thorns protruded from their sides like claws, whipping through the air as the thick fronds reached out.

_Brambles_.

The vines fell back, hitting the surface of the water and creating a tidal wave of blood. Leafpool cried out as a smaller vine surged from the lake right at the edge of the shore. Paralyzed with fear, the tabby could only watch in horror as the frond brushed her pelt and wrapped itself around her leg.

More bramble-vines came from the lake, spraying blood as they came for her. The thorns dug into her flesh and she felt her own blood running down the shore to mix with the rest. The vines tightened around her, strangling her, and her vision grew dark. The she-cat twisted around, trying to cut the bloodstained plants with her claws. Through the tangled vines she glimpsed Squirrelflight and Ashfur trapped within their own bramble cages, screeching as they were slowly sucked under the surface.

The bramble-vines wove together in an intricate pattern, making it impossible to slice through them. With a shuddering jerk, the thorn-filled prison lifted itself into the air and retreated back into the lake. Leafpool caterwauled in fear and agony. Her blood was flowing freely down the vines now, and the plants seemed to be absorbing it, feeding on it.

The cage dropped, splashing down into the blood-water. The ThunderClan she-cat wailed, then choked as the vines squeezed her breath out of her chest. The tabby's amber eyes closed the brambles pulled her down, into the depths of the lake. Blood rushed in over her head, blocking out the sky above. The warm metallic taste filled her mouth and nose, suffocating her.

Leafpool stopped struggling. Her last vision before the world swirled into darkness was Bramblestar's and Tigerstar's identical eyes, bright in the whirlpool of blood.

**One more (not) subtle hint... review!**


	15. Ivypaw

**Short chapter, yeah. Anyway, hoorah! I'm almost finished with the next chapter, so I should post it soon, but I need ideas for a cat's name (more specifically, the tom that saved Sagepaw from drowning). So, please review and suggest a name, I don't know why I can't think of one yet. XD**

**Ivypaw's POV this time. She acts like such a wimp in the other chapters (sorry, Ivypaw), I want her to at least have one to herself. **

**And Dawn-Brambleclaw's Killer, you still need to create the cat you won since getting the 100th review. Sorry, but if you don't review or PM me by the time I post the nest two chapters I'll let the 101th reviewer create one.**

**Okay, and (finally) here's the next chapter!**

She woke to feel a writhing cat beside her.

Ivypaw opened her eyes, staring around as pained sounds came from nearby. The apprentice looked up to see Leafpool, struggling in the grasp of a dream as silvery moonlight lit up her fur. The small tabby's eyes were clenched tightly, and her pelt was bristling.

"Leafpool?," Ivypaw whispered, glancing around to make sure she didn't wake anyone else up. Ever since Bramblestar had started to move cats around to different territories, for 'optimum use', the cats in each camp had all been in the same den. Now, most the ThunderClan cats, as well as a few ShadowClan and WindClan, were sleeping in the ThunderClan warriors' den, which had been expanded. "Leafpool, are you okay?"

The medicine cat gasped, suddenly jolting awake. Her eyes were glassy and wide. She stared around fearfully, and Ivypaw leaned away.

After a minute the she-cat's eyes focused. "Ivypaw?" Her meow was shaky.

"Y-you were dreaming," mewed the apprentice.

Leafpool shivered. "It… was just a dream?" She looked bewildered. "Oh, yes… yes it was…" The fur on her back started to un-fluff itself.

Ivypaw blinked. Leafpool often had dreams that came true, and if she was so terrified by this one… She shook her head, clearing it. Maybe it was nothing. Not every dream was a prophecy or something like that. Dreams could be just that… dreams.

A rustling sounded outside the den, and the guard, a ShadowClan tom, stuck his head in. "What are you doing?" he growled. "No talking in between sunset and dawn."

Leafpool looked him in the eyes witheringly. "I was talking in my sleep," she snapped. "What, has Bramblestar decided to control the dreams of every cat now?" She gave him a glare, and he turned away.

"Just don't do it again," he grumbled, leaving the den.

"Thanks for covering," Ivypaw breathed. She crouched low in the moss, grateful that the guard had left quickly, before he could see that she was awake too. One of Bramblestar's new rules was a curfew: no one could talk or go outside during darkness. He had so many rules now, she lost track of them.

_No arguing with your leader, deputy, or semi-leaders._

_Cats may only eat if they hunt. Cats who do not work must starve._

_No cat may pass between the former Clan boundaries unless being moved for optimum use._

_All cats must obey their leader above all else._

_Cats_ _must..._ and on and on it went.

Ivypaw shook her head. It had only been a moon since the fateful Gathering, yet it felt like years. So much had changed already, and she had a feeling it was going to get much worse.

A slight rustling made the apprentice's head jerk up. Leafpool's ears pricked, and she tensed as the noise grew closer. No cats could be out at this time, at least without being caught by Bramblestar's guards or the territory patrol. So it had to be something else.

The rustling paused, and Ivypaw realized with a flash of fear that it was right outside the den. The bracken trembled as a dark shape slid behind it. Leafpool tensed, her amber eyes narrowed. Ivypaw gripped the moss with her claws.

Then her mouth dropped open in shock as Sagepaw appeared.

"_Sagepaw_?" Her voice came in a hoarse whisper. Sagepaw froze, staring at her. Her gaze flicked to Leafpool, and instantly her eyes filled with guilt. She crouched back, looking small and ashamed.

"What are you doing?" The medicine cat mouthed, her tail lashing.

"Sorry," whispered Sagepaw guiltily. Her ears flattened to the sides of her head.

"If Bramblestar knew-" Ivypaw hissed.

"Shhh!" Leafpool dropped to the ground. "The guard!"

Ivypaw fell silent, but her gaze followed her sister as she crept across the den. "You better tell me in the morning," she mouthed, and curled up again.


	16. Hidden

**gah, another slow update... but anyway's here's the next chapter! (don't have much to say this time xD)  
**

The night was cold and clear, with no breeze to stir the leaves on the trees. Bright moonlight poured down from the sky, bathing the forest in dappled silver. Sagepaw padded quickly through the forest, her fur fluffed up with curiosity. Her ears perked up, listening carefully to hear if other cats were near.

Nothing. She continued into the territory, stopping every so often to sniff the air. The scent of many cats filled the trees, the distinctive Clan smells already merging under fear-scent. That smell filled the forest most now: fear of Bramblestar and the future of TigerClan.

After a few minutes the lake scent reached her, and she peered between some ferns to see the moonlit surface of the water. Sagepaw's eyes widened with excitement. She felt a strange sense of victory at being out during the curfew, like she was helping in her own little way to rebel against Bramblestar.

"Hey! You!"

Sagepaw gasped and whipped around to see a huge WindClan tom named Webfoot approaching her. His eyes were narrowed, and his tail bristling. The apprentice choked, terror flooding her. _Oh, no, StarClan. He's seen me!_

She had heard of those cats who had broken the rules. They were punished in horrible ways – humiliation, starvation, once even near-death from slashes. Bramblestar said that it was to ensure that the Clan cooperated and worked together better, but she knew it was really so he could stay in power. Fear was the best way to completely control.

The apprentice wondered what to say, but her mouth was dry. Webfoot loomed closer, almost upon her. Maybe she could get away with a warning, since she was only four moons old. But then again, she was Ashfur's daughter.

"What are you doing?" Webfoot growled.

Sagepaw opened her mouth to reply when another meow interrupted her. "Hawkfrost sent me as your replacement," purred a she-cat's voice, and a lithe queen stepped from the other side of the ferns. "He said you could go rest now. I'll be the lake guard until dawn."

"About time," grumbled Webfoot, and bounded away.

Sagepaw was just coming to the realization that she hadn't been caught, and her fear began to ebb away. The replacement guard walked to the edge of the shore, looked around, and started to pad down the coast towards the former ShadowClan territory.

_Perfect_! Sagepaw was going towards WindClan territory anyway. Relief still pounding through her, she slipped off into the undergrowth.

Thorns clawed at her pelt as she crawled through them, finally twisting out of the bracken into a grassy clearing. The little hollow was surrounded on all sides by thorns, which meant that no cat had really tried to get in before. A few ferns dotted the clearing, and a small sapling grew at the edge. Sagepaw smiled. She had discovered this place a week ago, and so far no other cat had been here. It was one of the places not yet discovered by the Clans – or now Clan. Even Bramblestar was not all-knowing. Sagepaw smirked.

A slightly familiar scent tinged the air, and she raised her head. The thorns crackled at the other side of the clearing, and a voice hissed. "Ow!"

Sagepaw's ears pricked up. "Over here! Come through this side!"

The noise stopped, and faint pawsteps sounded at the edge of the thorn barrier. Then the bracken rustled right behind her, and a small brown and white tom pushed through the border. He blinked. "Cool! This place is neat!"

Sagepaw jumped to her paws. "Skytail!"

"Hi, Sagepaw!" The tom freed his tail from the sharp thorns and padded up to her. His amber eyes darted around the small hollow with curiosity. "This place actually has _trees_! Bramblestar moved most of RiverClan to WindClan territory, and it's horrible. How do they stand that incessant blowing and open space?" He shuddered.

Sagepaw nodded. She remembered the journey back from the Gathering, and having to trek across that windy moorland. The apprentice padded over to the dappled tom. It might have seemed strange that she was here, meeting a former RiverClan warrior, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She felt… she had to do _something_ about Bramblestar, and Skytail agreed.

Her gaze rested on the tom. He was the cat who had pulled her out of the lake, who had dared to defy Bramblestar just after the massive tabby had killed the other leaders. She felt a glow of gratitude, that he had decided to help her when no one else would. Even the other ThunderClan cats were too scared of Bramblestar to do anything to help her. Well, she had never been taught to swim, unlike the RiverClan cats.

Skytail was still looking around the clearing. Joy flickered in his eyes as he took it all in. "At least there's _some_place that hasn't been overrun by TigerClan," he muttered.

"Yeah, can you believe no other cat discovered it yet?" Sagepaw grinned. The apprentice flicked her tail. "Even Bramblestar doesn't know about it."

The other cat wrinkled his nose, like even the name had a stench. "Thank StarClan," he muttered.

"It's perfect," continued Sagepaw, her eyes wide. "No cat ever comes here, and the small tree can be used for climbing, and the ground is soft enough for training, with the grass and ferns. The thorns are protection…"

Skytail nodded. "Yeah. Have you gotten any recruits yet?"

"No…" Sagepaw shook her head. "There are too many guards around the ThunderClan camp lately, and I think my sister is starting to suspect something." Her eyes flicked around. "She caught me sneaking back into the den last night. I left on a hunting patrol before she could ask me, but I'll have to tell her sooner or later."

"Hopefully later," mewed Skytail. "When there're at least some more cats."

"She wouldn't tell!" Sagepaw meowed indigently.

"Not on purpose," the tom muttered, and Sagepaw let a shiver run down her spine.

"Do… do you think Bramblestar would… _torture_ cats?" she gasped.

"Did you think he would take over the Clans?" Skytail retorted. His eyes blazed with anger, and he dropped his head. "Who knows? Who knows what Bramblestar will do anymore? Have StarClan abandoned us?" He sat heavily, his tail curled around his paws.

Sagepaw padded to his side. "Skytail?"

"Sorry," he hissed through gritted teeth. "It just makes me so mad… why doesn't StarClan do anything?" His amber eyes glinted, reflecting the moonlight filtering through the tree branches.

"Do you think every other cat isn't wondering the same thing?" Sagepaw shook her head. "I'm only four moons, and _I_ think that."

"Really?" Skytail blinked. "You're only four moons?" His eyes grew wide. "But – isn't that like what Brokentail did? Make kits into apprentices and then kill them in battles?"

"Yeah…" Sagepaw shuddered. "Ashfur – my father – was really upset when Bramblestar made us into apprentices just so we could go to the Gathering and his rise to power. I think Bramblestar did it to aggravate him, and try to get Ashfur to attack him so he has a reason for killing him." Her voice wavered

Skytail's ears pricked up. "Couldn't Bramblestar just… just kill him without any reason? He is the leader of all the Clans now."

"I think he still thinks that Squirrelflight loves him," Sagepaw whispered. "Maybe he thinks she will accept him if he only kills with reason."

"He's insane," hissed Skytail.

"I know," shivered Sagepaw. She curled her tail anxiously around her paws. "I know."

Skytail opened his mouth to speak when a sound interrupted him. A few fox-lengths away, just outside the thorn barrier, a twig snapped. It was too loud to be a bird or squirrel. Sagepaw gasped, her eyes widening. She felt Skytail tense beside her, his tail fur bristling. His claws were unsheathed, and they scraped the ground.

A rustling sounded in the bracken, just next to the two cats. The entrance to the clearing! Sagepaw narrowed her eyes in fear. Had the lake patroller caught her scent and followed it? Images of being tortured flashed in her mind, thoughts of what Bramblestar would do to her. The apprentice crouched as the rustling grew louder.

Then a shape pushed through the thorns, and Sagepaw found herself staring in the face of her sister.


	17. Dreaming

**gah, so, okay, I lied, I didn't update quickly. xD Sorry for not posting faster, but I starting writing the chapter and hated it, so I erased it and wrote this. I wanted something from Bramble's POV, and it gave me this idea... you'll have to wait to find out what it is, though. It has to do with the 'possiblity' Tigerstar discovered, and it's this weird idea I had. If anyone can guess what it is I'll let them create a charrie!**

**oh, and the 100th reviewer never submitted their cat, so Sparkingfire, you were the 101th review and you get to create a character! Please PM me with their description and stuff.**

**Thanks, and here's the new chapter! Remember to review!**

--

The eerie yellow glow above the trees was reflected strangely in the tom's amber eyes as he looked up. Above his head he could only see the looming branches, stretching far to meet with the dark, starless void of the sky. The absolute nothingness made a shiver run along his spine, his fur standing on end.

"Bramblestar."

The brown tabby spun around and dipped his head respectfully. "Hello, Tigerstar."

The massive dark brown tom sitting a tail length away growled with satisfaction, his tail lashing the air. "I see you've finally gotten those pitiful kittypets into a true Clan – _the_ true Clan."

"Yes Tigerstar," meowed Bramblestar, his eyes blazing amber. "TigerClan will be the most powerful Clan the lake has ever seen."

"As it should be." Tigerstar stood up and paced, shadows flickering over his pelt. "As it should have been in the forest, but Scourge listened to Firestar, the fool! How dare he kill me?" The tabby bared his teeth at the black void that was the sky, then turned back to Bramblestar. "Yes, TigerClan is mighty. I think, however, that there must be some semblance of competition, to keep the cats… on their paws."

"…Competition?"

Tigerstar nodded, finally settling back on the ground. "Yes. Two Clans. There will still plenty of territory to split, with only two Clans in the space of four. It will assure that cats truly train to become stronger, so they can fight against the 'enemy' Clan. Rivalries are good – each Clan just keeps getting more powerful."

Bramblestar considered. "I see."

"Besides," continued Tigerstar. "Hawkfrost has done as much as you have to help create TigerClan."

Bramblestar blinked. "You wish to give him his own Clan?"

Tigerstar purred, which was a strange sound coming from the giant tom. "Why not? There will be _two_ Clans, HawkClan and BrambleClan, each united under a common name of TigerClan. Hawkfrost does not deserve to be leader any less than you, for he was the one who brought you to Firestar, wasn't he? He led, you killed. You both deserve leadership." The massive tabby paused. "Choose another cat as your deputy, and have Hawkfrost go to the Moonpool to receive his nine lives and name."

"So… he will go to the Dark Forest then?" As soon as he said it, Bramblestar winced. Tigerstar's eyes burned with fury as he spun around to face the smaller tom.

"Of course, you mouse-brained fool! You think _StarClan_ would happily give us our powers? No! We do not walk with StarClan! We tread a different path, one that we do not need starlight to see!" He lashed out, raking Bramblestar's muzzle with his claws. The TigerClan leader flinched as warm blood trickled across his face, but he said nothing. He was used to Tigerstar's attacks by now, hardened against his father's rages. "Fox dung!" Tigerstar spat. "_StarClan_! Ha!" His grumbling trailed off as he started pacing again.

Bramblestar hesitated, watching his father pad back and forth, shadows dappling his fur. The dark tabby's eyes still glowed fiercely, but now he seemed distracted. Bramblestar wondered if the dead tom was thinking about the same thing he was – how Firestar had appeared in the Dark Forest to give him his final life. Would StarClan do the same for Hawkfrost? The tabby shook himself, as though that could throw Firestar's tainting life right out of him. He was a true member of the Dark Forest now, except for the fact that he was still alive. But when he died, he could not hope to ever see StarClan. Not that he _wanted_ to…

"Do you think Webfoot would be a good deputy?" Bramblestar asked, to break the tension. "He did not want to follow that sniveling fool Onestar, and is loyal to TigerClan."

Tigerstar stopped his pacing. "Yes, that may work. He will be a good deputy for BrambleClan."

His son nodded silently, but the tabby's glittering eyes revealed his pleasure at having a Clan named after him. "This is good," he murmured. "Two Clans – and the cats will stay in shape that way. I can take ThunderClan and WindClan territory, while Hawkfrost takes RiverClan and ShadowClan."

Tigerstar nodded, his massive shape outlined in weird yellow as the glowing from above the trees grew slightly stronger. "For now I will continue to walk in your dreams, to give you and Hawkfrost instructions of how to lead your Clans. Then, once you and Hawkfrost have established your reign… who knows?"

Bramblestar let out a hiss. "Have you learned more?" His eyes widened as Tigerstar hesitated. "You _have_?"

The tabby's eyes narrowed. "There are some… possibilities… I have discovered."

His son clawed the ground, though there was nothing there but shadows.

"There is another thing," Tigerstar growled, and Bramblestar looked up. "Some kits – well, apprentices, now – are planning something. I cannot see what it is yet, but you should be wary."

"Which ones?" asked Bramblestar, his tail lashing the air.

"You know already, don't you?" Tigerstar started pacing again. "It infuriates me that I cannot walk in the paths of their dreams. But I will keep trying, and maybe then I can find a way to summon those other then my family into dreams…"

"So it is Squirrelflight's and… and Ashfur's kits?" Bramblestar looked up angrily, then glanced away, staring off into the darkness. The air was silent, tension prickling on the tabby's pelt.

The quiet was suddenly broken by a growl from Tigerstar. "Why do you not exile, or better yet, kill that traitorous kittypet?" he snarled. "You need nothing from him, and he obviously hates you. Kill him, and make Squirrelflight your mate!"

Bramblestar hesitated, which mad Tigerstar's ears twitch in anger. "You are the most powerful cat in the Clan! You can do whatever you wish!"

His son half-turned towards him, eyes glinting yellow-amber in the strange light. "I will let her come to me. Sooner or later she will see that… _Ashfur_ is nothing." He was surprised to hear how unsure he sounded, and he tried to muster up more confidence. "She _will_ understand."

"Or you can arrange for an… accident… to happen to Ashfur," meowed Tigerstar. "I'm sure there are many loyal followers willing to help you."

_Yes_, thought Bramblestar, nodding. But for some reason he felt reluctant to just… kill off Ashfur. Yes he hated the arrogant gray tom, but Squirrelflight would never forgive him for killing her mate. He would let her see that Ashfur was the wrong one. She _would_ see, eventually.

"Don't be so sure, Bramblestar," growled Tigerstar, as though he knew what his son was thinking. The massive tom's eyes glowed in the shadows. "One thing I've learned is to never underestimate your enemies – and especially to never underestimate your allies."

A hint of a snarl rose in Bramblestar's throat, but it died off quickly. "Thank you Tigerstar," he murmured, dipping his head low. "I will tell Hawkfrost, or you can speak to him in a dream."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and stalked off into the forest.


	18. Secret

**eh... somewhat random chapter, especially near the end. Anyway, I just wanted to get this thing posted before school starts, because once it does I will be updating even slower (and I know its really slow already, xD) So, please review!**

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Ivypaw was woken by a movement next to her, a flicker of fur that brushed her shoulder and then vanished. The apprentice blinked, her eyes adjusting to the darkness of the den, as a slim shape detached itself from a nest nearby and vanished. Sleepily the she-cat turned and saw a shadow vanish through the disguised, narrow tunnel at the back of the den.

_Sagepaw? What are you doing?_ Ivypaw groaned, rising to her feet. It was no secret to her that Sagepaw had been sneaking out at night. Her sister had managed to avoid her the day before, but tonight she would find out what was going on. Gritting her teeth, Ivypaw crept towards the hidden tunnel.

She had to flatten herself to avoid getting her fur caught on the gorse as she slid underneath the thorny wall. Gasping, the apprentice shook herself and had to unsnag a couple brambles from her pelt before she could continue on. Sniffing the air, Ivypaw caught the scent of Sagepaw, and realized that her sister had formed a small tunnel from here to the dirt-place, a narrow path creeping behind the edge of camp.

"Great StarClan, Sagepaw," Ivypaw whispered, her eyes wide as the awareness of just how serious her sister was. To make a path out of camp… The small she-cat flicked her tail nervously and slunk along the trail, ears pricked for the slightest sound. If any of Bramblestar's guards caught her… she shuddered to think what they might do to her. Bramblestar was so obsessed with his idea of TigerClan these days, it was terrifying.

The thin tunnel wound around the now-abandoned apprentice den and swerved to run parallel to the path to the dirt-place hollow. Ivypaw followed it warily to the hollow outside of the camp and hesitated. Which way? She lowered her muzzle and scented the ground, wrinkling her nose at the reek of the dirt-place. Almost instantly, however, she caught Sagepaw's smell, and she followed it gratefully out of the hollow.

The night outside was cool and clear, and the stars above shone forebodingly down on TigerClan territory. Ivypaw looked up at the sky, and pleaded silently. _StarClan… what are you doing? Why do you let Bramblestar do these traitorous things?_ She shook her head and lowered her gaze to stare into the shadow-swathed forest, searching for the unknown dangers that lurked in the darkness. A few moons ago she would have been too scared to do anything to oppose Bramblestar. It was funny; the time of fear under Bramblestar's reign had not broken her like it did to the other cats. She was still horrified at the thought of torture, but it did not paralyze her now, like it had when Bramblestar had first proclaimed himself leader of the Clans back at that first fateful Gathering.

Ivypaw tracked her sister's scent farther towards the lake, where it veered off suddenly to head into a lesser explored part of the forest. The apprentice's whiskers twitched as she padded warily forward. She felt that a single snap of a twig would give her away to the guards Bramblestar and Hawkfrost posted all around the territories. Surely her pounding heart was loud enough to hear across the lake. She knew there were TigerClan warriors stationed at all the former Clan borders and around the lakeshore, as well as all around the camps. They would all come running to capture her – and then what?

She barely noticed when Sagepaw's trail ended abruptly at a thick gorse wall. Ivypaw nearly crashed into it, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of being caught and taken before Bramblestar or Hawkfrost. She scrabbled back and stared up at the tangle of thorns, her ears flicking thoughtfully as she searched for a way through. The she-cat circled around the barrier, which seemed to stretch for a little while before circling back in a barricade of vines and bracken, but she couldn't find a way in.

Still, Sagepaw must have gone somewhere. Unless… worst case scenarios filled the apprentice's mind. Sagpeaw had been captured. Sagepaw had been carried off. Sagepaw was going to be tortured, and all the kits would be punished. Ivypaw tasted the air frantically, trying to tell if some other cat had been here. She blinked in surprise as she scented another cat, unfamiliar. Maybe Sagepaw _had_ been found... but the newcomer's didn't small hostile, and Sagepaw's scent carried no fear.

The two cats' trails converged at one point and vanished into the brambles. Ivypaw sniffed at the roots of the plant, wondering what secret tunnel she had missed. Her bright eyes narrowed as she swiped a paw into the barrier and felt a gap beyond the first mouse-length of thorns.

The she-cat stuck her head into the opening and hissed as she smelled Sagepaw and the strange cat even stronger on the gorse. Wriggling, she squeezed herself into the path and burst out on the other side in a flurry of fronds.

"What-?"

Ivypaw whipped around to face the speaker. She didn't recognize the ginger and white tom who stared at her, but she could tell that it was the same cat who's scent was outside the gorse. The apprentice unsheathed her claws and glared at him, her neck fur bristling.

"Ivypaw, don't!" Sagepaw butted her way in front of her sister to be between her and the intruder. Her eyes widened with shock. "What are you doing here?"

"What am _I_ doing here?" Ivypaw snapped. "What did you think you were doing, letting him in this forest?"

"This is all one Clan's territory now, isn't it?" Sagepaw asked ruefully.

"Yeah? Well, what if Bramblestar caught you?"

Sagepaw opened her mouth to answer, but there was no retort. Embarrassment flickered in her eyes, and she dropped her gaze to the sandy ground.

The tom had been standing uncomfortably behind Sagepaw. He took a step forward. "Wait a minute," he meowed, looking around as though merely talking would betray their presence. "Of course we're not going to let him catch us. It's _because_ of Bramblestar that we're here."

Ivypaw narrowed her eyes, a guttural growl escaping from her throat. "Doing what? Hiding? That's not going to-"

"Coming up with something to do about Bramblestar, that's what." The tom glared at her, as though she had just ruined something massively important.

Ivypaw's tail curled. "Like what? What can you do? He has spies everywhere, guards everywhere. He probably knows about this already."

"If he knew, we'd be dead," Sagepaw meowed bluntly.

"Unless he was trying to see how far you would take it." Ivypaw grasped for something to persuade her sister to leave, but it wasn't working. _Please, come on,_ she willed the other she-cat. Deep down, she knew that her anger was only there to cover up the desperate hopelessness she felt, and the need to keep their family safe.

The strange tom shook his head. "He wouldn't take the risk. Please, Ivypaw – you are Ivypaw, right? You have to listen."

"How can I trust you?" Ivypaw snapped, but she knew from experience that if the tom was working for Bramblestar, they wouldn't be having this conversation.

Sagepaw's mouth dropped open. "Ivypaw! I'm your sister!"

"And you're sneaking out at night." But she couldn't really stay mad. Not when she herself hated what Bramblestar had done to the Clans. Ivypaw clawed the sandy earth. "So, you are you?" She turned to the tom.

He flicked his ears. "Skytail. From what was RiverClan." The tom – Skytail – dipped his head ever so slightly. "And you are Ivypaw, the sister."

The tiny she-cat bristled. _The sister? Is that all?_ Shaking herself to get rid of her annoyance, she padded forward a step. Her gaze rested on the RiverClan tom heavily. "So, what is it you're doing?"

Skytail glanced at Sagepaw, and she spoke hesitantly. "Sit down," she meowed. "We're going to need your help."


End file.
